Planning commission approves Lakeview Park amendment, adds AlphaLoop parking requirement

Alpharetta — The Planning Commission on Feb. 6 voted to approve a master-plan amendment for a 6.46-acre portion of Lakeview Park that reduces office entitlement by 200,000 square feet and adds 25 for-sale detached homes and 27 for-sale townhomes, as well as to require a streetscape and at least 15 on-street parking spaces designated for AlphaLoop visitors.

Planning staff told commissioners the mixed-use site, zoned MU, currently carries entitlements for office, retail, and residential; the applicant’s proposal would reduce the office allocation from roughly 630,080 square feet to about 430,080 square feet while increasing residential from roughly 26% of the mixed-use area to about 32%. Staff said the change keeps the development well under the MU zoning district cap of 8 dwelling units per acre and would increase publicly available open space. Staff recommended approval subject to 17 conditions addressing site plan ties, architecture and materials, streetscape and on-street parking, eco-district measures, open-space minimums, non-gating, stormwater, pedestrian amenities and fire access.

Kenneth Wood of TPA Group, the applicant’s agent, told the commission the change was intended to improve walkability and reduce peak-hour traffic compared with an additional 200,000 square feet of office. "We're reducing the traffic by a lot," Wood said, summarizing the applicant’s traffic comparison and walkability rationale. The development team said the residential product would provide a mix of detached homes and townhomes with high-quality materials, green stormwater features and a projected vertical construction start in 2027 with an 18-month buildout.

Commissioners and the applicant discussed public access to the AlphaLoop trail and parking for loop visitors. The applicant agreed to explore and accept a condition designating at least 15 on-street parking spaces for AlphaLoop visitors along the western portion of Lake Street and to provide signage; the commission incorporated that language into condition 11 before voting.

Commissioner (speaker 8) moved to approve MP-26-02 (Lakeview Park/Trayton Homes) subject to the staff-recommended conditions and the amended streetscape condition specifying on-street parking including at least 15 spaces dedicated for AlphaLoop access with signage. The motion passed by voice vote. The item will be forwarded to City Council on Feb. 23 for final action.

What's next: The Planning Commission’s recommendation will be presented to Alpharetta City Council on Feb. 23. If council concurs, the applicant will proceed to permitting and site development under the amended master plan and conditions.